At this moment, appearing before the Queen of the Gods Hera as the white-clothed hero Heracles.
Does it seem a bit reckless?
Actually, no, because this is the result of Jason's deep consideration.
Under the premise that exposure is inevitable, it is clearly much better to take the initiative than to be passively uncovered.
Jason is not without consideration of doing something for Hera to win her favor, or confessing his identity when offering tribute to Hera.
But right now, he obviously does not have that kind of time.
Moreover, the matter of winning her favor, Jason has already done long ago. Though, that was under the identity of the white-clothed Heracles, not Jason.
At the same time, it is very clear that the ever-prepared and extremely cautious Jason, having simulated the scene of confessing to Hera countless times.
He must have countermeasures in place!
Therefore, at this moment, Jason changed into that white robe, donned that golden mask, and appeared before Hera.
At this moment, the white-clothed hero, that young man who has captured the attention of the gods.
Has finally appeared once again in this world!
Accompanying the setting sun, the stars arrive.
The golden seven-stringed lyre in Jason's hand also disappears with it.
The light of the bright moon illuminates this white-clothed hero, and the dignified goddess, Queen Hera.
A silent stillness...
This continues for quite a long time.
Until the complex emotions in Hera's eyes, those that cannot be described in words, gradually fade, becoming utterly cold.
"As expected... it is you!"
Hera grits her teeth, squeezing these words out from between them.
Those beautiful eyes now mix with towering hatred!
In this instant, Hera naturally understands... understands everything.
She understands why, at the beginning, when she learned of the white-clothed Heracles and wanted to meet him, the gods acted strangely, all blocking her.
She understands why, the first time she saw him, even separated by a mask, she still felt a stirring in her heart.
At first sight, she liked him, thinking he must be a lovable child.
She even more understands why that white-clothed hero Heracles, before her, why all along.
He was unwilling to remove the mask from his face!
Because he cannot take it off.
He... is that Jason.
That Jason whom she once liked, then mercilessly betrayed her!
"Goddess Hera..." Jason gently utters these two words, and then he says nothing more.
Because in this instant, even breathing becomes difficult for him.
The endless fury from the Queen of Olympus, in this moment, seems to imprison the space here entirely!
Kill him... kill him!
Kill this mortal who dares to toy with me!
Kill this mortal who treats me as a foolish clown and deceives me!
Kill this mortal whom I cannot obtain!
Yes, in this instant, Hera makes up her mind. She wants to destroy, to destroy Jason!
Because she cannot have him.
Have this hero who is favored by the gods, who offers the most beautiful tributes to the gods, the most renowned hero on the current Greek continent: the white-clothed Heracles.
She can never have him.
She has long lost her chance.
Since she cannot have him, then destroy him!
By her own hand, destroy him!
Just as Hera has made up her mind in her heart and is about to act.
A holy light suddenly shines on Jason's left hand, then takes form.
The Scales of Judgment appear before Jason.
They block for Jason the endless fury from Queen Hera.
At the same time, the bloodline power of the child agriculture goddess Demeter within Jason begins to surge wildly.
One sees the various plants and animals on the ground nearby wither at an extreme speed, gathering life force that all surges onto Jason's body.
On Jason's forehead, a golden ear of wheat mark appears.
Only thus does Jason finally break free, break free from the seal of a queen!
"Themis, Demeter... very good, you are very good!"
Seeing this, Hera naturally becomes even more enraged.
In this instant, Themis and Demeter are directly marked for her hatred.
At the same time, facing the fury of the queen deity in the Olympian divine court.
Not to mention the gods like Hestia and Amphitrite not far away, whose faces change drastically upon sensing it.
Even Zeus, in some distant unknown place, feels it!
"...Hera?!"
On the vast earth, in a certain flower-filled meadow, Zeus who is transforming into a bull and nestling against a beautiful nymph.
Upon feeling this fury, he can no longer care for anything else, suddenly kicking off his hooves and charging toward the sky.
"Oh no, oh no, who has angered her so much, it couldn't be... me, could it!"
"Ah?" The beautiful nymph looks in shock at the bull climbing off her body and flying into the sky, her face full of bewilderment.
Why can my bull fly, and why can it speak?
...
"Athena, are you sure this is really okay?!"
Hestia turns her head to look at Athena, appearing extremely anxious.
But Athena does not answer Hestia's question; she remains silent.
When Amphitrite cannot help but glance toward Hera and the others.
She sees Athena, gritting her teeth, take out a golden shield.
Then she throws this shield into the sky above the isolated island, blocking everything inside the island.
"Athena, what are you doing!" Amphitrite raises her voice, looking at Athena in disbelief, saying: "Do you want that child to die?"
"No, I am saving him!"
Athena bites her lip lightly, her gaze locked firmly on the isolated island now blocked by her shield, unable to see even a hint of the situation inside, saying: "Hera cannot possibly fail to notice our gazes; what you are doing is only further enraging her!"
Hearing Athena's words, Amphitrite is stunned for a moment.
"Athena is right..."
The cunning messenger of the gods, Hermes, appears at some point beside the three goddesses.
"In the current situation, our appearance will only further stimulate Hera... Do not forget, we all know that the white-clothed hero Heracles is Jason.
But we have been concealing it from her all along!"
Hearing Hermes' words, Amphitrite falls silent involuntarily.
"But... but what about that child!"
Hestia cannot help but say: "You all saw it; Hera absolutely will not let him go... Athena, look, I told you this was far too reckless. You are harming that child; you are sending him to his death!"
"Be silent, Hestia!" Athena cannot hold back any longer; she suddenly turns her head and rebukes Hestia.
Hestia is stunned.
"I love... I love him more than any of you gods. Right now, no god is more worried about him than I am. What do you know!"
Athena's blurted-out words stun the three deities present.
"Who says so." And at this moment, a indifferent light voice breaks the suddenly frozen air on site.
"That is my child, my student... Athena, you truly are unyielding; you want to steal him from me again here!"
Under the moonlight, accompanied by a flock of dark butterflies, Hecate in a black long skirt appears before Athena in her holy white long dress.
Those vermilion eyes glare fiercely at the agitated Athena.
And with Hecate's arrival, and her words.
Hestia and Amphitrite finally react.
Oh, so that is what she meant... I thought, I thought it was...
That makes sense; how could it be otherwise? After all, she is Athena.
Such thoughts surface in the minds of the two goddesses.
But only Hermes, who has come back to his senses, looks deeply at Athena.
Then, with Hecate's arrival and her words, Athena gradually calms down.
"...You should not have come."
"Hmph, if I did not come, my student would be gone!"
Hecate snorts coldly at Athena, saying: "You and I both know that the child's only weakness now is the divine thunder!
And Hera can wield that power!
Even if she can only imitate five percent of God-King Zeus, it is still enough to obliterate that child's soul!"
Hearing Hecate's words, Athena's face looks very unpleasant.
"But if you appear, Hera she..."
"Shut your mouth!"
Hecate interrupts Athena's words impatiently, saying to her: "Is your head stuck? Who am I? I am Hecate, the goddess of magic Hecate!
If I do not want Hera to detect my arrival, can she detect it?!"
Hecate retorts at Athena, leaving her speechless.
Looking at Athena who does not respond, Hecate snorts coldly again and looks toward the small island blocked by the shield.
"...I will take him away."
Athena's eyes widen slightly as she looks at Hecate.
"If things develop in an unavoidable direction, I will take him away today." Hecate ignores Athena's reaction and continues: "I will make it so Hera can never see him again."
And you too, Athena!
"No, you cannot do that, Hecate..."
"Why can I not." Hecate interrupts Athena's words, looking at her coldly, saying: "You can act recklessly; why can I not act recklessly?"
"This is not recklessness on my part; it is for his sake..."
"For his sake? ...Forget it, Athena. If that were true, you would not have hurt his heart."
Hecate laughs and points it out directly.
"It does not feel good, does it, Athena? You were so close to stealing him from me, but now... you will never have such a chance again!"
Killing the god, slaying the heart...
Hecate's words leave the three deities nearby stunned, including Hermes.
And Athena, whose inner pain is directly pointed out by Hecate, has her face flushed with anger at this moment, saying to Hecate: "Hecate, do not go too far!"
"Hmph... Anyway, my mind is set, Athena; there is no need for you to say more.
Moreover, from the beginning of this journey, I already said I would protect him and not let him suffer harm... Athena, I am different from you!"
Hecate speaks bluntly to Athena: "If he truly faces danger this time, I will act without hesitation!
Do you not believe that you all could chase him into the abyss of Tartarus to find him?
Also, do not forget the predecessor Night Goddess Nyx.
Back then, she could produce that stone, disguised as Zeus, making even the previous god-king swallow it without detection.
As long as she acts, even you, Athena, will never see him again!"
Hecate's words make Athena's face, which was flushed with anger, instantly turn pale.
Because she understands; Hecate is not scaring her. Hecate has already made up her mind...
And the matter of the stone comes from a very famous story about Zeus.
The second god-king, fearing a curse, swallowed every child of the second queen Rhea.
Finally, Rhea could no longer endure it and, when Zeus was about to be born, sought the help of the Night Goddess Nyx, obtaining a stone enchanted by Nyx.
That stone easily concealed the perception of the second god-king, allowing Zeus to survive.
It is precisely because of this that Nyx is one of the deities Zeus respects the most.
In some versions of the myth, Nyx is even Zeus's foster mother.
And Hecate is the deity Nyx favors the most, and Athena also knows that Nyx, by extension, likes Jason very much.
She even prepared to give her position as the Night Goddess to Jason, but unexpectedly, the Justice Goddess Themis took it first.
"No, no!"
Thus, at this moment, Athena truly panics. She anxiously says to Hecate: "Hecate, you cannot do this; you cannot act like this!"
In response, Hecate only snorts coldly.
Hestia, Hermes, and Amphitrite, who have been silently watching the drama unfold nearby, look at Athena, whose face has turned deathly pale and who is in a panic before Hecate.
They exchange glances, and in their hearts, they cannot help but feel a sense of absurdity.
This is Athena?
This is truly the wisdom goddess Athena, who handles matters calmly as if she has the entire world under her control?
It is fake, right? Who are you pretending to be!
And at the same time, unbeknownst to the three of them, Hecate, seeing Athena's reaction at this moment, cannot help but want to slap her forehead.
Hecate is a deity born at the end of the second divine court.
She might even be a bit older than Zeus.
Thus, she naturally knows the first wisdom goddess, Metis.
She even, at the request of the first wisdom goddess Metis back then, left the second divine court's ranks to help Zeus.
Therefore, she actually knows some secrets about the existence of the wisdom goddess.
She has even heard the Night Goddess Nyx sigh over Metis's death.
As the wisest being in the world, the wisdom goddess cannot die as long as she does not wish to.
On this point, let alone Athena.
Because the wisdom goddess of that time had her own combat power as a major issue, at least.
But Athena not only inherited endless wisdom; she also inherited Zeus's powerful strength.
She is the wisdom goddess, but also the goddess of war and victory!
Even the war god Ares can be suppressed by her...
Thus, her weakness truly exists in only one aspect... but unexpectedly, this sole weakness has coincidentally been grasped by Jason!
Emmmmmm...
Hecate wants to curse.
She finally understands why she could see the scene of Athena dying happily in Jason's arms.
After all this time, that is the reason!
Then she recalls the result of her recent discussion with Hephaestus, where they both agreed it should be Jason handed over to Athena.
Now, looking at this...
This is truly pushing him into a fire pit!
No, this cannot continue!
In the instant she perceives that Athena has completely changed, Hecate declares she can no longer tolerate it.
Even if this incident ends smoothly, she absolutely cannot let her wicked disciple leave her side again.
It is far too dangerous!
At this moment, Hecate makes up her mind in her heart!
Hecate, who originally secluded herself in the underworld, wanting nothing to do with anything, probably too lazy to glance even if the world were destroyed.
At this moment, finally decides to step forward!
For this student whom she cannot set her heart at ease over!
...
And regarding all of this, Jason naturally does not know.
Right now, he looks at Hera before him, seething with hatred.
Even though he has long been mentally prepared, he still cannot help but click his tongue.
I am done for, done for, done for... If this is not handled well, I really will die!
Jason takes a deep breath.
With the appearance of the Scales of Judgment and the wild operation of Demeter's bloodline power in his body, even under the oppression of a queen's divine power.
Jason can finally speak and move freely.
"Noble Goddess Hera, do you still remember the agreement between us?"
Jason does not beg for mercy, nor does he say any words expressing loyalty.
Instead, he asks a question that Hera did not anticipate.
The agreement with her... accurately speaking, it is the agreement between the white-clothed Heracles and Hera!
That is, when the white-clothed Heracles meets Jason.
That dagger possessing the power to accelerate time, capable of instantly aging a person, will be thrust by the hand of the white-clothed Heracles into Jason's heart!
Hera, slightly stunned, recalls the agreement she made back then with the white-clothed Heracles.
This makes Hera's heart ache even more.
At this moment, her hatred for Jason intensifies further!
"What do you want to say?"
Hera says in an utterly cold voice: "Are you mocking me? Mocking me for being blind?"
"No... Respected Goddess Hera, what I want to say is, it is time for me to fulfill the agreement with you."
Jason speaks to Hera in a light and calm voice.
Then, in his hand, that golden dagger appears.
Seeing this, Hera's brows furrow slightly, and she says coldly: "Enough, Jason. Do you think I am truly that stupid?
You are Jason yourself; how can you still fulfill the agreement with me!"
"Respected Goddess Hera, the agreement between us is that when the white-clothed hero Heracles meets Jason, the dagger will be inserted into Jason's heart.
And right now... the white-clothed hero Heracles has already met Jason, has he not?"
Hearing these words, a question mark naturally pops up in Hera's mind.
She cannot react.
Until Jason finishes speaking.
"In your eyes, respected Goddess Hera."
Jason stares straight at Hera, those beautiful golden eyes.
And one sees that the figure reflected in Hera's golden eyes at this moment is none other than the white-clothed Heracles under the moonlight.
At the same time, is that not also Jason?
"Now, although I wear the mask and the white robe of the great hero Heracles.
But in the eyes of Goddess Hera, I am actually the Jason in that black attire, right?"
Yes, at this moment, the figure reflected in Hera's eyes is indeed the white-clothed Heracles.
But what Hera "sees" is the youth named Jason.
Thus, this is precisely the moment when the white-clothed Heracles meets Jason!
Hera is dazed for a moment.
She reacts.
"And then." Her voice remains cold, her gaze still angry as she says to Jason: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
In this second, facing Hera's questioning.
Jason does not answer with words; he responds with action.
In Hera's line of sight, he inserts that golden dagger... into his own heart!
Hiss...
When the dagger pierces the heart, the pain of the heart being stabbed through makes Jason's eyes widen instantly as he draws in a sharp breath.
This really hurts!
And Hera watches this scene, watches as blood seeps out from the golden dagger, staining that sacred white robe red.
When the white robe is dyed red with blood, it appears so piercingly vivid.
Hera... is moved.
After the event occurs and her mind blanks for a moment, then reacts, seeing the golden dagger right before her eyes, piercing through the heart.
A flicker of panic finally flashes in Hera's eyes.
"Respected Goddess Hera, look... I, I have fulfilled the agreement with you."
Then, enduring the pain of his heart being pierced, with his face gradually losing all color, Jason forces a smile and says to Hera in a trembling voice.
That trembling voice, and the scene before her eyes, make Hera... involuntarily step back.
And her heart trembles along with it.
However, Jason does not immediately age upon the dagger's insertion.
Because he senses the danger, the bloodline power from Goddess Demeter in his body surges even more frantically.
The life around him is mercilessly stripped away.
The influx of life force continuously struggles against the power of the dagger.
Thus, at least in the short term, before all the life force around is completely devoured by Jason, Jason will not age.
Regarding this, Jason cannot help but feel a bit speechless in his heart.
Demeter, godmother, it seems like you are doing harm with good intentions!
Just as Jason thinks in his heart, although Hera is initially shocked by the scene before her, she notices the flow of life force around, all surging into Jason's body.
After Jason's appearance does not change, she clearly gradually regains her senses and calms down.
Seeing this, Jason grits his teeth fiercely and steels himself in his heart.
Thus, one sees in the next second.
With a light sound, the golden dagger is pulled out by Jason from his heart.
Then the sharp blade cuts through the air once more, ruthlessly stabbing into his body again!
Seeing this, Hera is stunned once more.
But what stuns her even more is,
In the next second after the dagger pierces his body, Jason pulls it out again.
Then stabs it in again!
Pulls it out again.
Stabs it in again!
It hurts... this really hurts!
After all, this is the heart, the pain of being pierced again and again!
Blood stains Jason's white robe red.
It even gradually stains the ground beneath Jason red!
One stab, two stabs, three stabs... until after stabbing himself seven times, eight times, Jason finally stops.
His teeth bite tightly into his lip,
Biting until blood comes out.
He does not make a single sound.
"Respected Goddess Hera... my apologies."
Then, he forces a pale bitter smile toward Hera, saying: "There was a small problem; I am truly sorry..."
"You, you you... have you gone mad?!"
Hera cannot hold back any longer; her voice sharpens as she cries out to Jason: "Have you forgotten what I told you?
This is a curse that even Hecate cannot repair; it is my father's power. And yet you keep stabbing yourself, you, you... you!
Are you tired of living?!"
"Because this is the agreement between me and you, Goddess Hera..."
Jason answers Hera's question in a soft voice, showing her a difficult smile, saying: "Goddess Hera, I have done it."
"...You... I... agreement, you..."
Hera looks at Jason before her in disbelief, then... steps back, one step, another.
She steps back.
"Scales of Judgment... I hope you can weigh something for me."
Then at this moment, Jason speaks once more.
"On one side, place the truth; on the other, place the words I am about to speak... Scales of Judgment, please judge.
When I learned that Goddess Hera was the goddess who saved me back then, the deity who brought me to the centaur sage, have I held gratitude toward her until now!"
Jason endures the pain from his heart and says to the Scales of Judgment before him.
Then, the Scales of Judgment make a just ruling.
Before Hera and Jason, it sways slowly once, then... returns to calm.
Absolute balance, without leaning toward either side!
Seeing this, Hera cannot help but hold her breath.
"Scales of Judgment, please make another just ruling!
Do I hold respect for Goddess Hera.
Does my heart still revere this respected goddess!"
The scales sway again, making the ruling.
Finally... they return to balance.
"Have I ever thought of telling Goddess Hera everything? Have I felt troubled by this!"
"When I appeared before Goddess Hera as the white-clothed Heracles, did I feel guilt in my heart? Did I feel tormented and pained by this!"
"When I revealed my identity to Goddess Hera, when I thrust the dagger into my heart, fulfilling the agreement with her in that instant, did I feel relief and peace!"
All the words receive rulings without leaning toward any side.
The thing weighed is the sincerity of the words.
Thus, even if Hera is unwilling to believe, does not want to believe, she sees the absolute proof... Everything Jason says is true.
"Scales of Judgment, please make the ruling.
Even now, does my heart... still hold not the slightest bit of resentment toward the respected Goddess Hera!"
The Scales of Judgment make the absolutely just ruling.
Seeing this... Hera finally cannot hold back.
"Enough... enough, enough, enough!
Shut your mouth, Jason; shut your mouth!"
Hera screams; she looks at Jason before her, looks at Jason whose heart bleeds more with every word he speaks.
Hera says loudly: "If that is the case, if that is so, then why did you reject me? Why did you betray me? Why did you toy with me!!!"
"Goddess Hera, I did not toy with you... Not for a single moment did I think of toying with you."
Jason says gently to Hera: "Respected Goddess Hera, I also never thought of betraying you... This is actually a misunderstanding, because at first I did not know that my benefactor was you, the respected one.
At the same time, Goddess Hera, I... am actually very timid; I have always been a timid fellow.
When I learned of my fate, I feared my own fate; I was unwilling to accept my fate.
Thus, I sought my teacher Hecate... She is the Goddess of Crossroads, the miracle in fate, the deity who can change my destiny.
Goddess Hera, you were right back then.
A person named Jason is simply not fit to be a hero, because he has always been a coward, a gutless weakling..."
Hera is stunned.
Facing Jason, who after speaking all at once in one breath, can no longer hold on and collapses to his knees with a thud.
He pants heavily, his face deathly pale.
The life force around him has been fully absorbed...
And the golden dagger is still embedded in his body.
Hera looks at the absolutely just Scales of Judgment... It remains without the slightest deviation.
That means the words Jason just spoke are still true.
"No... no... no no no!"
Hera steps back again, murmuring to herself: "It should not be like this; it should not be this way at all. No no no... no!"
Then... Hera flees.
She cannot endure the scene before her, nor can she endure this reality beyond her expectations.
Thus, she flees.
She bursts out of Athena's shield and flees directly.
Hera leaves here at the fastest speed of her life.
And the instant she realizes Hera has left, Athena and Hecate, whose eyes widen slightly, appear on the small island in the next second.
They see Jason kneeling there, his hand tightly pressing the spot where the dagger is inserted into his heart.
The floating Scales of Judgment nearby.
And on the ground, that patch of bright red.
Seeing this scene, Athena's mind instantly goes blank!
And just as she is stunned in this instant, Hecate rushes to Jason's side and pulls him into her embrace.
"Are you okay, Jason? Are you alright!"
Hecate holds Jason, looking at the blood that immediately invades her body, her face turning pale at once.
Vast divine power pours into Jason's body without regard for her own life.
"Hecate... teacher?"
Jason struggles to open his eyes, and upon seeing clearly that the goddess holding him is Hecate, he finally closes his eyes in relief.
"It hurts so much... it really hurts, Hecate teacher."
"Hecate teacher, it hurts so much like this..."
"It hurts, hurts, hurts..."
Jason speaks weakly; the scales nearby sway for a moment, then balance.
"Hecate teacher, I... am so tired." Leaving these final words, Jason collapses into Hecate's arms and falls unconscious.
"...Athena!"
Hecate turns her head, angrily glaring at Athena behind her, whose face has lost all color.
"Look at what you have done!"
Then, without waiting for Athena to respond, a flock of dark butterflies appears, enveloping the two of them.
Taking the two into the underworld...
"No, I did not mean for it to turn out like this..." Athena watches helplessly as Hecate takes Jason away; at this moment, like a lost soul, she keeps murmuring: "I did not think it would be like this; I did not think it would develop this way..."